Rosen-Schaffel Competition

The festival, in partnership with the Hayes School of Music, proudly presents the sixth season of the highly acclaimed Rosen-Schaffel Competition for Young & Emerging Artists. During the spring of 2016, North Carolina institutions were invited to nominate competitors. A panel of distinguished musicians and collegiate educators from across the state served as preliminary jurors to select eight finalists to compete in the live final round of the competition.

During the final round of the competition on July 17, a panel of esteemed conductors will designate three top prizewinners and the audience will have the unique opportunity to select an audience choice award winner. In addition to a cash prize, the first-prize winner will receive the opportunity to perform with conductor Gerard Schwarz and the Eastern Festival Orchestra during the 2017 season of An Appalachian Summer Festival.

This year’s competition jurors are Gerard Schwarz with the Eastern Festival Orchestra, Robert Moody with the Winston-Salem Symphony, Roger Kalia with the Pacific Symphony, and Jacomo Bairos with the Amarillo Symphony.

About the Rosen-Schaffel Competition

The Rosen-Schaffel Competition for Young and Emerging Artists, established in July, 2011, is a program of An Appalachian Summer Festival, the university’s annual summer festival of the performing and visual arts. The competition is co-presented with the university’s highly acclaimed Hayes School of Music, and is named in honor of Mrs. Muriel Rosen and two of Mrs. Rosen's family members, Nancy and Neil Schaffel. Arnold and Muriel Rosen’s vision and generosity led to the founding of An Appalachian Summer Festival in 1983. Central to the festival’s founding principles is a belief in the importance of supporting young American artists, and promoting the professional endeavors of young artists pursuing careers in the fine arts. This belief, championed by the Rosens and their family, remains an integral component of the festival’s mission and identity, and is clearly reflected in this remarkable program.

Jury Process

A panel of distinguished musicians and collegiate educators will serve as jurors for the Rosen-Schaffel Competition’s preliminary round. Based on recordings submitted in mp3 format, jurors will select eight finalists, via a blind adjudication process, to compete on Sunday, July 17, 2016 in Boone, North Carolina, at a public event held as part of An Appalachian Summer Festival's 2016 season.

In the final live round of the competition, a panel of prominent symphony conductors will select a First Place, Second Place and Third Place Winner. The decision of the judges is final. In addition, the competition audience will select an “Audience Choice Award Winner.”

Prizes

The FIRST PLACE WINNER will receive a cash prize of $2,000 as well as an invitation to perform a complete concerto or comparable work(s) with one of the Eastern Festival Orchestras during the summer season following the competition.

The SECOND PLACE WINNER will receive a cash prize of $1,500. Should the First Place Winner be unable to perform with the orchestra, the Second Place Winner will be invited to fulfill this engagement.

The THIRD PLACE WINNER will receive a cash prize of $1,000.

The AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD WINNER will receive a cash prize of $1,000.

AFFILIATE STUDIO PRIZE: New this year! A studio prize of $1,000 will be awarded to the studio of primary instruction, made payable to the institution, that provided the First Place Winner’s eligibility to participate in the competition.

ALL OTHER FINALISTS will receive a cash prize of $300.

Related Links

Sponsors

This performance and other classical music events at An Appalachian Summer Festival are supported by the Rosen-Schaffel Endowment for Classical Music Programing. Created by Nancy and Neil Schaffel, the endowment honors the legacy of Nancy’s parents, Arnold and Muriel Rosen, and their lifelong commitment to the fine arts, as well as their important role in the founding of An Appalachian Summer Festival.

The 2018 Rosen-Schaffel Young Artist Competition has also received generous support from the Bruce J. Heim Foundation and Mark and Nancy Tafeen.

Photos

2015 Competition winners with competition jurors Gerard Schwarz with the Eastern Festival Orchestra, Roger Kalia with the Pacific Symphony, and Jacomo Bairos with the Amarillo Symphony